CNN is suing President Donald Trump and multiple White House aides for revoking press pass of the news network’s White House correspondent, Jim Acosta.
The lawsuit comes less than a week after the White House announced it would suspend Acosta’s “hard pass” in the wake of the reporter’s fiery exchange with Trump at a news conference Wednesday.
White House chief of staff John Kelly, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, deputy communications chief Bill Shine, Secret Service Director Joseph Clancy are also included in the suit. The Secret Service officer who yanked Acosta’s pass is also included in the lawsuit, though he is not identified by name.
CNN alleges in its legal action, which has been filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., that Acosta’s First and Fifth Amendment rights were being violated with the ban.
Acosta, who has frequently clashed with Trump administration officials, had challenged the president about his characterization of a “caravan” of Central American migrants traveling to the U.S.-Mexico border.
A female staffer then attempted to pull the microphone out of Acosta’s hand, which he initially refused to surrender. “You are a rude, terrible person,” Trump responded as Acosta continued to speak into a microphone being passed around to the gaggle of reporters present for the news conference.
Later Wednesday, Acosta tweeted that he had been denied entrance to the White House grounds.
This story is developing. Please check back for updates.
